1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to drain cover having a slot that precludes entangling or trapping a swimmer or bather.
2. Description of Prior Art
Swimming pools and hot tubs typically include circulation systems that draw water from the pool or tub at high flow rates. When swimmers and bathers frolic underwater, they risk exposing their hair, fingers, clothing, etc. to active pool drains. For example, swimming a circuit to and from a drain is a common aquatic exercise that brings the swimmer into the vicinity of the drain, particularly the head of the swimmer. Strands of hair, for example, may be entrained into the drainage flow and pass through apertures in conventional drain gratings.
When hair strands are drawn through drain gratings, hair entanglement may proceed by knotting or wrapping mechanisms. Hair may be drawn into the drain and then entangled behind the grating element resulting in knotting. Alternatively, hair may be drawn into the drain and then wrapped around the grating element resulting in wrapping. Each of these mechanisms is sufficiently aggressive that a bather may be trapped even in the face of heroic intervention.
In addition, a swimmer may become trapped against a drain if the swimmer""s body comes in sufficient contact with the drain so as to form a vacuum.
Accordingly, it is one object of this invention to provide a drain cover having a structure where no elements exist that may be trapped or wrapped by strands of hair.
It is another object of this invention to provide a drain cover having a structure that prevents the drain from creating a vacuum against the body of a swimmer.
These and other objects of this invention are addressed by a drain cover comprising one or more hollow tubes having a continuous single slot formed therein. Alternatively, the drain cover may comprise a shell having a simply connected slot formed therein. The drain cover according to this invention may be formed in a number of geometries, discussed in detail below.